Panel lifting device



March 14, 1961 K. K. DAY 2,974,929

PANEL LIFTING DEVICE Filed Oct. 25, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Kim K. 00y

INVENTOR.

BY m' w March 14, 1961 K. K. DAY

PANEL LIFTING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 23, 1956 30 Fig.8

Kim K. 00y

INVENTOR.

99 Fig. /0

Fig.9

March 14, 1961 Filed Oct. 23, 1956 PANEL LIFTING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 E E 72 E Fig.6

Kim K. Day

INVENTOR.

9 70 57 7/ BY B I IMWWFMI- w United States Patent() PANEL LIF'I'ING DEVICE Kim K. Day, 800 W. 8th St., Clarendon, Tex.

Filed Oct. 23, 1956, Ser. No. 617,757

7 Claims. (Cl. 254-4) This invention relates to lifts and particularly to lifts that are adapted to be used by carpenters or other artisans haying need for mechanical assistance in lifting heavy objects.

An object of the invention is to provide a lift that is especially designed and constructed for the purpose of able base from which pairs of lifting arms rise, these lifting arms being arranged to be pulled or squeezed together in the manner of toggle links in order to lift a resiliently mounted platform on which the panel or object to be lifted is supported. Stabilizers that are extensible are connected to the platform and to the base so as to assure that the platform is maintained level, firm and steady during and after the lifting operations.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is an elevational view of a lift which is constructed in accordance with the invention and which is shown in a lowered position and with a panel thereon to be lifted;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure in Figure 1, a typical wall panel being shown thereon in phantom in order to prevent obscuring detail below it;

Figure 3 is an elevational view similar to that of Figure 1 with the ceiling panel removed and in an elevated position;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the section line 44 of Figure l;

FigureS is 'a horizontal sectional view taken on the I plane indicated by the section lin'e'55 of Figure l and illustrating principally the panel platform;

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the section line 1010 of Figure 8. In the accompanying drawings there is a lift 10 which 2 is constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. This lift is shown supporting a panel P which typifies any load and principally a ceiling panel which a carpenter is about to install in a building such as a private dwelling.

Lift 10 consists of a base 14, see Figure 6, the latter being of rectangular form and made of suitable mate rial, as angle iron. The base has sides 16 and 17 together with ends 18 and 19, the sides and ends being joined together by standard means, as by being welded or bolted. Longitudinal, parallel base members 20 and 21 extend across ends 18 and 19 and are fixed thereto. Transverse base members 22 and 23 are secured across and to the longitudinal base members 20 and 21. Four casters 24 are secured to the base and provide a rolling support for it so that it is easily maneuvered.

Panel P is supported on a platform 30, see Figure 2, which consists of an upper frame having sides 31 and 32 connected to ends 33 and 34. Transverse braces 35 and 36 are secured to the sides 31 and 32 and are arranged parallel to the ends 33 and 34. Strips of wood 38 and 39, see also Figure 1, are fixed to the ends 33 and 34 and form a rest on which the panel P is disposed.

Four rods 43, 44, 45 and 46, see Figure 5, depend from the braces 35 and 36 and pass through apertures in plate 48 that are formed near the corners thereof. Upper springs are located on each rod, for example see spring 49 of Figure 7, and lower springs 5% are also concentrically arranged on the rods. One spring is above plate 48 while the other spring 50 is below plate 48, both of these springs bearing on the surfaces thereof. Stops, as nuts 52 with washers on the lower threaded ends of the rods 45, form seats for the lower springs 50, while the upper springs 49 bear against the braces 35 and 36. Angles 55 and 56 are fixed to the opposite edges of plate 48, and means are connected to the depending flanges of them for elevating the platform 30.

These means consist of four upper lifting arms 60, 61, 62 and 63 whose upper ends are pivoted on the ex tremities of spindles 64 and 65 that are located-in apertures in the depending flanges of angles 55 and 56. In addition, there are four lower lifting arms 68, 69, and 71 whose lower extremities are pivoted on the ends of spindles 72 and 73, the latter being mounted in aligned openings in the base members 20 and 21. The

outer extremities of the upper and lower lifting arms are pivoted together by being pivotally mounted on spindles 75 and 76. The lifting arms are gravity lowered, but to raise them easily operable means are resorted to. They comprise a pair of braces and 81 which are spot welded or otherwise connected to the base 14 and which have bearings 83 and 84 at their upper ends accommodating the winch 85. The winch comprises a drum around which the elongated flexible member, as rope or cable 86, is placed. A' ratchet locking device 87, including a ratchet wheel and dog, is operatively connected to the drum of the winch and functionsto Figure 2, from the drum 85 to a double pulley 96 that is carried by spindle 75/ Accordingly, the drum is tilted in a horizontal plane so that the elongated member is led properly to and from the double pulley 9 5. After extending around the double pulley the rope-or other flexible member extends over double pulley 92 which is .Patented Mar. 14, 1961 carried by spindle 76 and preferably in the middle thereof. The elongated member proceeds back to the double pulley 90 after which it returns to double pulley- 92, and is anchored.

There are two stabilizers which extend betweenthe platform and the base 14. These stabilizers 94 and 95 are extensible, each preferably consisting of three tubes 96, 97 and 99, tube 96 being welded or otherwise fixed to base member 23 while stabilizer 94 is secured to base member 22. The intermediate tube 97 slides in the bore of tube 96, while the upper tube 98 is fixed at its upper end to plate 48 and is slidable in the bore of intermediate tube 97.

Means preventing over-extension of the stabilizers are included in each of the stabilizers. The preferred means comprise rods 99 whose lower ends are fitted with eyes 100 through which pin 102 passes, as shown in Figure 10. This pin is carried by the opposite Walls of the intermediate tube 97 and near the lower end thereof. The opposite end of rod 99 has a head 104 fixed on it, this head coming to bear against transverse pins 105 and 106, see Figure 9, that are carried by opposite walls of the uppermost tube 99.

In use, the winch is operated after the user places panel P on the platform. either manually or by some power source, the flexible member 86 is wound on drum 85 thereby pulling the spindles 75 and 76' toward each other thereby causing the upper and lower lifting arms to be brought toward parallelism or vertical alignment (Figure 3) which elevates the platform. When the platform is moved to a high' enough position so that the panel P may be nailed directly onto the ceiling joists or other supporting structure, the winch is stopped and panel P so applied. Upon release of the winch the lift is gravity lowered and ready for subsequent use. It is noted that by the construction described herein a compact lift for easy transfer from one job site to another or from one part of a job site to another part thereof results.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will'be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A lift for panels-and other articles comprising a base, a vertically movable platform disposed above said base for lifting and lowering articles supported thereon, telescoping vertically extensible stabilizers connected at their ends to said base and platform and limiting the latter to guided rectilinear vertical movement relative to said'base, said stabilizers having stop means therein limiting movement of said platform from said base, lifting means connected to said platform and base and operable to effect movement of said platform from said base and to enable gravity to move said platform toward Upon operation of the winch,

said base, said lifting means including a set of upper arms each pivoted to said platform and a set of lower arms each pivoted to said base, said sets of upper and lower arms being pivotally connected in pairs with each pair consisting of an upper arm and a lower arm having their adjacent ends pivotally connected and their nouadjacent ends pivoted to said platform andbase in vertical alignment, 2. support mounted on said base, a winch mounted on said support, a flexible member connected to said winch and to all of the pivotal connections of said adjacent ends of said pairs of arms for positively moving said pivotal connections of all of said pairs of arms towards vertical alignment with the respective pivotal connection of said arms with said platform and base.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said base includes an inner pair of longitudinal base members and an inner pair of transverse base members secured thereto, said extensible stabilizers being fixedly secured at their lower ends to said transverse base members.

3. The combination of claim -l wherein said platform includes an upper frame for supporting an article to be lifted and a plate spaced below said upper frame and connected to said upper arms and said stabilizers, resilient means secured to said upper frame and connected to said plate for effecting a resilient mounting and limited movement of the former upon the latter.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said stabilizers each consist of three vertically disposed and spaced telescoping sleeves, with the interm ediate sleeve having a sliding, guided telescoping relation with the upper and lower sleeves, said stop means being connected to said intermediate sleeve and to an adjacent sleeve.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said step means comprises a rod having one end secured to one sleeve and its other end having a limited sliding movement in an adjacent sleeve.

6. The combination of claim 1 including two parallel axles, eachjconstituting the common pivotal connection of two pairs of arms disposed in side-by-side engagement, said flexible member being connected to both axles for moving them towards each other.

. 7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said axles lie outside of the vertical plane through the pivotal connections of their two pairs of arms to said platforms and base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Italy June 19, 1945 

